Chapter 2 CHAPTER
My phone's relentless buzzing broke through the heated moment. Sitting on the side table, it felt as though it might explode or crack open from such strong vibration.
"Who the hell is that?" Rolling his eyes, Alessio groaned and then turned away.
Frustrated, I dragged the duvet up to cover me. My fingers grabbed the phone off the table, and my breath stopped at the name on the screen.
I turned with wide eyes to Alessio. "This is Luca."
"Thus?" He laughed, his tone turning from one of annoyance. "Screw him! Let it ring, friend!"
Before he could say anything else, I planted a palm on his mouth. "Shh! Five minutes. That's it. After that, we can return to... this."
He choked. "Make it short. I am about to blow right here."
I nodded and swiped to pick up the call. My throat cleared, and I pushed my voice to sound laid-back. "Hey, Luca."
"Hello, sweetheart. What is your day looking like?"
"Good," I said fast, peering at Alessio, who was now flaming. In an effort to calm him, I stroked his arm, but he just crossed his arms and scowled.
"Glad to hear," Luca went on. "Listen; I need you at the hospital. Now."
"Again?" I let the word out too loudly. I grimaced.
Alessio gave the mattress a punch. "Unbelievable," he said, then his lips found my neck once more, following the downslope.
I barely could keep my voice steady as I pressed at his chest. "Is… is something wrong?"
"No, but it's critical. Just come".
Alessio worked at the duvet tugging. My hands tightened their hold on it.
I stammered, then realized too late that I had simply agreed. "I—I’ll be there soon."
"Great! Come see me at our family hospital. Sixteenth floor."
My tolerance collapsed. Turning the phone aside, I hung up before he could say anything else.
Alessio nodded with a smile. "Conclusion. Where are we right now"?
I leaned in, pressed my lips to his, but I pulled back and dropped out of his hold just as his hands discovered my waist.
"Oh, come on!" He moaned and grabbed my wrist. "We were still working on it."
I grinned, yanking free and draping the duvet around me as I turned away. "Apologies, sweetheart. Got to go."
"You really are leaving? Just as such." He grabbed a cushion to cover himself, clearly annoyed. "We never finish anything anymore!"
I grumbled. "Luca at the hospital needs me."
"Luca, Luca, Luca," he said, flopping back in frustration. "That fool destroys everything. I swear, he has to vanish."
Rolling my eyes, I cupped his jaw. "Listen, sweetie. He is the one bringing in the cash. Right now, we do what we have to."
"I hate it," he said, although his scowl was softening.
"I understood. But we will address it later. Let us now consider what we can currently get."
"Fine." He let out a big breath. "But this waiting game is aging."
"How about this?" I murmured, brushing my lips to his ear. "I will be back tomorrow. And I am not going to leave. Regardless of anything."
His contempt vanished. "Promise?!"
"Promise."
He laughed. "Now that is what I like to hear."
Before going to the closet, I gave him one more mocking glance. I came out a few minutes later wearing black stiletto shoes and a dark red pencil dress. I was ready with a brief lipstick touch-up and a flick of my hair.
I sat beside him, running my fingers down his neck before we left. "Do not pout. Not long at all."
"Better not be."
"See you tomorrow, dear."
I moved toward the door and into the still hotel corridor. This was ideal—far enough from our house, discreet enough to protect our secret. Luca would never discover. He was overly trustworthy and too thick.
I started to grin as I headed to my car.
The hospital looked exactly like I had anticipated—dead. White walls in sterility, a faint antiseptic smell, and nurses walking ghostly across the hallways. I despise it.
Not thinking about hiding my annoyance, I got out and marched toward the door after parking my car.
Serena, Luca's assistant, found me as soon as I entered.
She greeted with a clipped, professional "Good afternoon, ma'am." She constantly aimed at impressing me. Too bad I paid no attention.
"Where is he?" I said bluntly.
"Upstream. Floor six. He ordered me to bring you."
"I can find my own way."
I ignored her scrambling to follow and went to the lift. The doors opened, and I went in. She came along, but I paid her no thought.
As we climbed, my fingers impatiently tapped against my arm. Luca's nerve, dragging me out for this garbage. I knew roughly what this was about already.
As the doors opened, Serena declared, "We're here."
She moved quickly ahead, stopping at a door to motion for me to come in. I waved her away and then entered.
Luca sat across from an elderly man, looking austere. When I saw the stranger, something nagged at the rear of my consciousness. I had seen him already.
Luca stood and came toward me, flashing one of his customary friendly smiles.
"Hey."
"Hi," I answered firmly. "Suddenly I am here?"
He sighed, his hand just brushing my arm. "Here we are to pick up our test results."
I straightened. "Test conclusions?"
"Indeed," he remarked softly. "To discover the reason we haven't yet had a baby."
His comments felt to me like ice water poured over me. My body stiffened, my nails biting into my palms.
I should have known. Naturally, this was what he was looking for. Luca cannot simply let things go. Desperate for an heir, he seemed to be living only in terms of that.
He had no idea.
My lips drew into a sneer. My silence stretched, heavy with unspoken ideas. He believed this related to fertility. That this was a regrettable accident?
Luca Ricci, you really are a fool.
You know nothing about the behind-your-back work I have been doing.